Despite my ongoing foot issues I thought I'd end my week off with a classic round on the Kentmere Horseshoe, a walk that shouldn't be under estimated by any means and one that I hadn't officially walked since April 2015

Bill Birketts version walks the Horseshoe in an anti-clockwise manner still starting in the heart of Kentmere but slightly altering the route to gain the Longsleddale Pass via Rook Howe from which High Lane is gained, this start avoids the tarmac lanes out of Kentmere and was a first time for me.

The next slight alteration to the route is Goat Scar, a high level spur offering long distance views back over the Longsleddale valley found between Shipman Knotts and Kentmere Pike, which when viewed from the valley of Longsleddale offers impressive views towards Goat Scar vertical cliffs. With the rest of the route falling back in the original horseshoe all that was left was the perfect Summers day to walk it under, this sadly I did not get nor do I remember ever having to wear gloves in the middle of June.

I estimated my arrival for around 08:30am and after an uneventful drive north I arrived in Kentmere a little earlier than expected, leaves and small branches scattered the lane into the village no doubt left behind by Storm Hector the previous day but nothing too significant. Knowing I wouldn't be back at this exact spot I stopped at Low Bridge to take this photograph looking towards St Cuthberts Church with Cowsty Knotts in the distance...a much liked view of mine.

The parking spaces are just to the left inbetween St Cuthberts and the Kentmere Institute, these normally fill up very quickly on a weekend but with today being a week day I parked easily next to the familiar phone box. This morning, the temperature is markedly lower than of late and by the feel of it the remnants of Storm Hector still hasn't passed which only adds to the cooler than cool feel here in the valley, it's here whilst kitting up do I add my Rab Windproof which I wouldn't remove until I returned to my car some six hours later.

Todays start will see me drop just below the Church and then head left (right in the photograph) and pass through the car park before heading towards Rook Howe Farm, I was a little dubious about this route because I've joined up with the path below High Lane in past walks and the ground here, even after weeks without rain, does not drain well, but seen as I'm following the official route I guess it's best to stick to it.

With my car locked I passed through the Church car park and began the slight descent towards Rook Howe, it was here my camera started acting up displaying a message that my memory card was formatting, having seen this message times before and usually after less than a minute the camera is good to go, what I hadn't realised was that I had forgotten to delete my last walks images which were still on the memory card hence the longer delay.

This being new territory I left the camera to do its thing passing Rook Howe Farm to my left before crossing the River Kent via a wooden footbridge before a steep grassy climb first crossing Low Lane via a stepped wall then continuing my ascent towards High Lane were I crossed a second stepped wall.

I hadn't the best of forecasts today, certainly nothing compared to my previous two walks with light showers predicted which could only mean low cloud which at times came as a shock to the system after walking in sweltering heat these last six weeks.

I followed the wire fence on to the summit shoulder but was forced wide in order to avoid pools of familiar standing water which were being whipped in to waves by the strong summit winds. Having reached the summit cairn I crossed the stone wall via the steps remembering that the top slab wobbles, it still does.

Around half a dozen sheep were seeking shelter just behind the wall who on seeing me trotted off a short distance away. For just a few moments I remained low letting the stone wall shelter me from the wind which was blowing in from the west.

I'm no 'David Hall' who is known to withstand mind numbing cold but I must admit it has to be cold in order for me to add extra layers, having crossed over the stone wall back at Kentmere Pike summit I was subjected again to the windchill, which I might add wasn't freezing, but wasn't far above either...or at least it felt that way, having stopped for no more than a minute back on Kentmere Pike my body core temperature felt like it had plunged while at the same time the windchill seemed to tear through my windproof.

That was it, I de-shouldered and added my windproof gloves, easing them down on cold fingers felt like the first brew of a morning, the rest of me would warm up as I went along while trying to pick up my pace over the now, easy ground.

I was back on track and feeling tip top despite the niggling blister on my right heel which only affected me during steep ascents, at this point I try not to look over at Froswick and III Bell too much!

It was on the approach to Harter Fell did I encounter the heaviest of the showers, I stubbornly refused to add more layers but was forced to stop and de-shoulder at least to take my camera bag out from my pack, having strapped my camera bag around me I re-shouldered my pack before continuing towards Harter Fell summit.

By the time I reached Harter Fell summit it had stopped raining but it was still blowing a royal hoolie, from the Gatescarth side, two walkers are approaching both kitted out in long trousers wearing thier hoods up while I look down on my semi tanned legs, sock lines an all.

Time to descend towards the top of Nan Bield Pass now.

I arrived at the beacon finding four chaps sat huddled behind the stone wall, one Hi with eye contact to all four made for summit pleasantries before taking the grassy descent towards Froswick and the III Bell ridge.

Oddly, and for some strange reason I felt at my best when earlier I had been worried about how much the ascent of Froswick and in particular III Bell would affect the blister, I'm not sure why but here, all that worry had gone.

Sadly gone are the three distinctive summit cairns to just two after the south facing cairn was either suspect to the elements or vandals who had dismantled it, I'm hoping it wasn't the latter.

It's lunchtime now as I search for a shelter from the wind.

Still exposed to the winds I left the summit of Yoke behind soon feeling the winds ease as I descended further down the south ridge, the gradient also eased once through the gate a bleak Wansfell Pike appeared over the Troutbeck valley to the west. Ahead, at Garburn Nook a group of walkers shelter behind a stone wall presumably stopping for lunch. My foot has faired well feeling pretty unscathed while my mind is starting to feel occupied by the descent back into Kentmere via the Garburn Pass.

It's not technical, exposed nor steep, just extremely rocky underfoot and no place to have a two week old blister on your heel.

I was passed by a young man on a Mountain Bike close to the top of Garburn Pass and Hi's were exchanged, I've seen this pass destroy bikes leaving the likes of mudguards, reflectors and other bike parts scattered from top to bottom. The pass starts level from the top but soon descends twisting steadily while views over Kentmere village entertain the eye, but I find it's best keeping both eyes on the ground during this descent. I pass the young man who by now is walking his bike back up the pass after a successful descent, it wasn't one of those expensive bikes nor was he wearing what you'd expect a Mountain Biker to wear just paint stained track suit bottoms and trainers but he was pleasant and we spoke as he wheeled his bike back up "was worth it" he laughed, it was good enough for me.

With the descent of Garburn Pass almost behind me the huge boulder that is Badger Rock appeared over the stone wall above 'The Nook' and I peeped over the wall to take a closer look. Gravel turned to tarmac as I pushed my feet into the backs of my boots and for the countless time today I used the edge of a convenient rock from which I bent my right heel down which momentarily eased the pressure on my foot tendon. After the purchase of two expensive insoles I'm still not convinced I have the right ones and sometime later this week Ill be purchasing a third pair just so I can continue my fell walking.

With my car reached I opened the tailgate and placed my pack neatly inside, sat on the rear bumper and eased my boots off with the longest aha your likely to hear. It's still blowing a gale in the valley but the wind is much more pleasant and just as you'd expect for a June afternoon.